Of Gods and Men
by Elerrina Star
Summary: "There are gods and there are men, and there are those of us that are in-between." Possible collection of family-oriented drabbles and one-shots. Will probably contain spoilers for both Clash and Wrath at some point. Based on my AU universe. No slash.
1. Of Gods and Fish

**A/N:** I'm just going to call this the first of what may or may not become a collection of drabbles/one-shots/etc for the Clash/Wrath fandom. I can't help myself. Updates will probably be slow and sporadic, but you never know.

Dedicated to _**Desertfyre**_, who suggested that I try and carry on my Wrath-AU universe with some family-themed fics. My dear, this one is for you.

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Title: Of Gods and Fish  
Word Count: 300  
Characters: Zeus, Perseus, bits of Hades and Helios  
Warning: Mildly crack-ish... and since I hardly ever manage decent crack... well... I just hope it doesn't suck. It was written in about 15 minutes, so it probably does.  
Summary: Perseus thinks that it's time Zeus took up a new hobby. Post-WotT. AU.

o0oOo0o

"You want me to do _what_?"

His eyes, he was certain, were wide with alarm as he stared at his son. Perseus stared back, and Zeus could tell that he was trying his best not to grin.

"Fishing," the Demigod said for possibly the fourth time. He lifted one of the knotted rope nets in demonstration, mouth still twitching in suppressed mirth. "You know, water, fish, _food_." He dropped the net and look at Zeus innocently. "It's fun."

"You _cannot_ be serious."

"You've got to try it eventually," Perseus said. "Come on," he reasoned. "Mortals do it all the time. For a god it should be easy."

"Ex-god," Zeus reminded. "And I haven't the slightest idea of how to do this."

"I'll show you. It's nothing. With a little practice you'll be fine."

Zeus continued to stare at Perseus incredulously. "Perseus, I don't-"

"I won't take no for an answer. Please?"

Zeus glanced at Hades, who had been watching the entire conversation in silence lest he too be drawn into the scheme. The ex-god of the Underworld shrugged and shook his head; he wouldn't be any help.

Zeus sighed. "Very well."

Perseus grinned and from somewhere behind him young Helius let out a cheer.

"Great," the Demigod said, heaving up the nets and quickly dropping them in Zeus' arms. Zeus actually stumbled a bit in surprise and stared down at the tangled mess with wide and distrustful eyes.

"Come on," Perseus said, motioning for Zeus to follow him. "We'll make a fisherman out of you in no time."

Zeus looked from the nets, to his son, and back to the nets again. Helius rushed after Perseus, leaving the older man to follow.

"Why do I get the feeling that this isn't going to end well?"

Behind him, Hades actually laughed.

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_...Review? =D_


	2. Of Nightmares

A/N: Here we go, chapter two! This one doesn't follow up on chapter one, though if anyone wants to see Zeus fail at fishing then I suppose we could work that out at a later date. :)

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Title: Of Nightmares  
Word Count: 1,154  
Characters: Zeus, Perseus  
Warning: Fluff. Don't sue me if you choke on it.  
Summary: Perseus has a nightmare and Zeus does his best to make it better. Some h/c and a whole lot of awkward father/son fluffiness. Written to fill one of the prompts given me by **BreshitHaya**. I hope this satisfies, my friend! :)

o0oOo0o

It was well into the night when the sounds of distress first reached him. He blinked slowly, his weary eyes protesting against even the slightest flickering of light from the torches that hung outside the tent.

Lying still he listened, attempting to discover what it was that had woken him. Aside from the soft sounds of breathing as the tent's other occupants slept there was nothing, not even the sentries that walked the grounds nearby were loud enough to have disturbed him. So what was it?

The silence persisted and he had nearly drifted off again before the same sound as before shattered the stillness and jerked him from his doze. It was a low whimper, almost a cry, and he felt his forehead crease in concern. It came again, a little louder now, and he turned and looked around, squinting in the darkness.

"Father."

The ragged moaning that followed the call had Zeus rising from the bed and creeping across the tent with cautious haste. He hesitated when for a moment the sounds of distress ceased, but the silence was short lived and with determination the god went on to the far edge of the dwelling and silently eased back the thin veil that separated this sleeping places from the others.

What he found make his heart ache with compassion and concern. He crossed the remaining distance to the bedside in a few steps and instantly paused, his hand coming to rest on the shoulder of his restless son. "Perseus."

Rather than awaken at the gentle call Perseus stiffened, his breath hitching in a ragged, gasping sob. "Helius. No. Father!"

"Shhhh," Zeus soothed. "Perseus, I'm right here."

Another gasp and some incoherent mumbles were the only answer the god received for his troubles. Perseus began to toss and turn, jerking and writing as though he were in pain. Startled, Zeus place both of his hands on Perseus' shoulders and shook him firmly. "Perseus, wake up."

A sob broke past the demigod's lips and Zeus felt his heart breaking. "Perseus!"

With a cry the younger man snapped into consciousness, his eyes wide and full of fear as the images from his dreams still clung to his mind. "Father. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Shhh," Zeus whispered again, reaching up to awkwardly but gently ran a hand through his son's hair to calm and sooth him. "It's alright, Perseus. It was just a dream."

With shaking hands Perseus reached up and grabbed his father's wrist, clinging to it as though it were all that was keeping him from slipping into some horrible place. Surprised but not displeased Zeus remained still, keeping one hand on his son's shoulders to steady him while the other continued to stroke his head, offering what little comfort he could.

For some time they stayed that way. Perseus sat with closed eyes, his jaw clenching and hands trembling as he struggled for control while his father just stood by and waited until he was ready. Eventually the death-grip lessened and was soon released altogether. Rolling away Perseus moved to the far edge of the bed, his back to Zeus as he hunched over and hid his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"Are you alright?" It was a foolish question to ask - the answer was plainly written in the way his son sat, holding himself and shaking as the adrenaline still coursed through him. But now that Perseus was actually awake Zeus found himself at a loss of what to do, how to comfort, or whether he even _should_ comfort. Perseus was a grown man, after all, and Zeus had never had to deal with this before.

"I'm fine." An obvious lie. Still, Zeus considered accepting it; he should just walk away now and leave Perseus to look after himself.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Again Zeus hesitated. Dammit, why was this fathering thing so difficult? Then again, maybe if he'd been a good father when it had mattered things wouldn't be so awkward now.

"Would you... like to talk about it?" There, that seemed like a safe thing to say.

It was Perseus' turn to hesitate and Zeus felt his hopes rise, only to be dashed as a moment later the demigod shook his head. "No. I'm fine. It was just a nightmare."

Nodding slowly in acceptance and quashing an unreasonable disappointment - had he really expected anything else? - Zeus rose backed away. "Very well. Goodnight, Perseus."

Zeus had just stepped beyond the curtain when Perseus spoke again, calling him back. "Wait."

Turning back, he looked at his son questioningly.

"Thank you. For waking me up."

Zeus nodded slowly, once more pushing away the disappointment. He waited a moment longer before turning away to leave again.

"Father."

Turning back yet again the older man waited silently for Perseus to say whatever was really on his mind.

"I thought you were dead. In the dream," he clarified quickly. "I thought you were all dead. You, Helius, Agenor, Andromeda... And I just... I wanted you to know that... I'm glad you're here."

Zeus stood silent for a moment, not entirely sure of what to say. "Well," he managed eventually. "If it's any consolation, I have no intention of going anywhere any time soon. Not until you've got tired of me, that is. Nor of dying. I've had enough of that for quite a while."

Perseus gave a small laugh and nodded slowly. Some part of him whispered that he was making a childish fool of himself, but he couldn't seem to really care. "I'm sorry I woke you," he said for the second time that night. "It won't happen again."

"Well as I said, I'm not going anywhere," Zeus reminded him, his tone indicating that there was more meaning to his words than was said outright. "So you know where to find me if it does."

"Thank you," Perseus said quietly.

"You're welcome."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Returning to his bed, Zeus sat down and crossed his arms, staring out into the darkness of the tent with a thoughtful glint in his sky-blue eyes. It wasn't until several minutes later that he rose again and made his way back across the tent and to Perseus' bedside. The demigod was sleeping peacefully again, all signs of the nightmare gone away.

Feeling slightly foolish but equally determined, Zeus silently lowered himself to sit on the floor beside the bed. Perseus had claimed that he wouldn't have anymore nightmares, and Zeus was fairly certain that he was right. Still though, it wouldn't hurt for him to stay here for a while longer, just to make sure that no more dreams plagued his son's rest.

He had missed out with so many years of not being there when he was needed. Tonight that was going to end. It was time to start making up for all the time he had lost.

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_If anyone actually made it through that fluff without suffocating on it I'll be impressed. Review? :)_


	3. Distant Shadows

A/N: Another random, unconnected one-shot. I was a little hesitant to post since my other fic, _The Return, _got so few hits, but then I got over it. Wrote this one weeks ago and decided to go ahead and share.

Just so everyone knows, I am working on getting all of your wonderful prompts filled. School is out as of today so I now I have lots of time to write. Provided my muse doesn't up and wander off I should have more fics ready soon!

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"You've never struck me as one to enjoy watching the sunset, brother."

The tone was light, teasing, but the underlying edge of disquiet could easily be heard. When no reply was given, the speaker frowned.

Zeus watched Hades from behind for a long while. The once god of the Underworld had vanished hours ago, and he had been silent and withdrawn long before that. Concern had sent Zeus searching, and that concern grew now that he had found him.

With a light sigh the once great god of lightning and wind settled on the rocks beside his sibling. Both men were bent, shoulders bowed with burdens that no one but they could comprehend. They were aged, greying, weary, as if the toils of humanity weighed too heavily on them. Between the two of them Hades had suffered the worst. Mortality was not kind to fallen gods.

For, even powerless and fallen, they still saw far and knew of things that humans could only dream of. Hades, in his power, had always seen farther and deeper into the shiftings of the world than all the other gods combined. Now, powerless and mortal, that had not changed, and what he saw bore down on him as though the earth itself rested on his shoulders.

"What troubles you, Hades?"

A sigh, a forehead resting wearily against a staff of wood, and eyes as dark and shadowed as the depths of Tartarus looked out over the sea towards the far horizon.

"We were not born for this," the weary ex-god said, his tone low and sorrowful. "When Earth gave birth to our father it was not intended that the children of Titans should live and die as mortal men."

"I know," Zeus replied quietly. "Nothing is as was intended. Nothing is as it should be. The entire Universe is out of balance. The end of the gods is only a small part of it's undoing."

"I fear the future," Hades whispered. "There is something on the horizon that I do not like. It speaks of a coming evil that mankind cannot withstand."

"They have survived much in the past," Zeus reminded, though his brow furrowed in troubled contemplation.

"They will not survive this. All our work is crumbling. You know full well that Kronos was only a part of what we had locked away. The other Titans are stirring, Zeus. They will soon rise even without aid, and you and I can no longer stop them. It took us a millennia to overcome them all, and then we were still strong and not bound by mortal chains. Then we were not alone in our war."

Zeus gazed long at the horizon, imagining the darkening sky to be full of shadows and evil rather than the growing shades of nightfall. Behind and below him people could be heard, none of them even suspicious of the doom that could soon await them.

"What are we to do, brother?" he asked.

"What _can_ we do?" Hades replied.

The answer hung heavy in the air between them.

Nothing. They could do nothing but keep watch and pray, sending up whispers to empty skies in the hopes that _someone_ would grant them a miracle.

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_Odds are this won't go anywhere. I was just in an angsty mood one day and took it out on Hades and Zeus. Something more cheerful next time, maybe? Thanks for reading! Reviews are love, and cookies are your reward. :)_


	4. Forgiveness

"Do you intend to stare at me from behind the boulder all day, young Helios, or are you merely working up the courage to approach me?"

From behind him Hades heard a gasp and the soft skittering of pebbles as Helios jumped, startled. The once-god had not turned, had not given any indication that he had heard the boy approaching, and only after several minutes of feeling a cautious gaze watching him had he spoken. Obviously the child had believed himself unnoticed.

"Forgive me, sir," Helios stammered quickly, obviously alarmed at having been caught.

"It is forgiven," Hades said dismissively. With some interest he turned to face the boy, looking him over with deep eyes and a curious furrow in his brow. "There is a question in your eye," he said, watching as Helios blushed. "What is it that you have come to say?"

Helios hesitated, biting his lip and wringing his hands before squaring his shoulders and plunging in with a deep breath. "My father dislikes you," he said bluntly, his tone openly questioning. "He let's you stay because of Grandfather, but he doesn't like you."

Hades offered no reply, and only remained silent. He knew this, and what the boy was getting at he wasn't entirely certain.

"Why - I mean..." Helios hesitated again, then, in a voice barely louder than a whisper, he went on, "He says you killed his family."

"I did."

Helios' eyes widened in surprise, because he had not expected the solemn, dark ex-god to give any reply. "Why?"

Now it was Hades turn to show surprise, and it slid across his features before he became impassive once more. "Because he was the son of my brother, and I hated my brother," he said softly, thoughtfully. "And because they meant noting to me. Humanity never bore me any love, nor did they have mine, and at that time they were spitting in our very faces. I had no cause to let any of them live."

A pause ensued as Helios took in what he had been told. Then, with more spirit than he had shown thus far, the boy shook his head. "That is a bad reason, sir."

Surprised again, Hades lips quirked upwards in a small smile. Helios, in all his youthful boldness, amused him. "I was a god, child. I needed no better reason."

A troubled frown flitted across the boy's brow, showing that he still disapproved. Hades smile faded. "And yet, even the gods were not infallible. I have done many deeds in my lifetime that were not looked upon as good or kind." He paused, sinking into thoughtful, contemplation for a moment before looking to the boy again. "Your father's hate of me is just, and I do not resent him for it."

"Do - do you regret the things you did?"

Turning to meet the solemn but curious gaze of the young human, Hades sighed. "Not all, no," he answered quietly. "But many."

This confession, made to a simple human child, the son of a man who Hades had once considered an enemy, was startling. Rarely had the god allowed himself the painful luxury of regret. Anger had been his fuel, revenge for wrongs done to himself his goal, and regret had never served to keep that rage burning.

"Father says that being sorry for what you have done is the first step in finding honor and forgiveness again," Helios said, in a tone more solemn and wise than a child of his age should ever use. "Maybe someday he'll forgive you, too. Like Grandfather did."

Hades felt his lips turning up again, though his smile now was more resigned than happy. "There are some things that _cannot_ be forgiven," he said knowingly. "And there are those of us who are too tired to even bother to ask for it."

"Helios."

Hades and Helios both turned to find Perseus standing near them, his arms crossed as he leaned against a tree. "You're going to be late for your studies," he said lightly, jerking his head towards the homes behind them as he looked at his son. "Go on. I told Guia you wouldn't miss again."

Rising obediently, Helios bowed his head to Hades in respectful farewell before running off. Perseus stayed for a moment, staring at the ex-god with silent intensity. Hades returned the gaze passively, neither defensive nor cowed by it. No words passed between them to break the silence, for what was there to be said?

Eventually Perseus turned and without a word walked away, leaving the older man alone again.

Whether Perseus had overheard their conversation Hades never knew, nor did it matter. He had no intention to seek the man's forgiveness, doubting that it would be given even if he should bother to try, and equally doubtful that he had any right to seek it at all.

If, however, Perseus was slightly less cold or indifferent to him, Hades would never deny to himself that it was some relief. He had never cared for Perseus, nor did the human's opinion of him really matter even now.

Forgiveness, however, and even in the smallest measure, was always a welcome ease on his overburdened soul. And if Perseus could find it in his heart to forgive Hades, then at least that was one less weight for him to carry.

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_A/N: Decided to put the note at the end this time so I could talk about this for a sec._

_One thing I've been thinking about lately when it comes to this fandom is the relationship between Perseus and Hades. Now, in _Wrath_ we see Perseus have a change of heart about Zeus, and that's fine. Zeus never really did anything bad to Perseus, after all (unless you count ignoring him for most of his life). But in _Clash_ Hades was the villain, and not just that, he's the guy who killed Perseus' family, and who Perseus swore to get revenge on. So it's not like they're just suddenly going to be all peachy and have a nice uncle-nephew relationship, right?_

_Anyway, I just wanted to address that a little here with this. Also wanted to try my hand a Helios, since I havn't really written him much yet._

_More coming soon!_


	5. Of Ghosts and Sharing Burdens

A/N: Hey guys! Just a quick apology - my muse has all but jumped ship for this fandom it seems. No worries, though, I'm sure I'll get her back eventually! :)

This is actually a 'shot that I wrote for the same prompt as chapter 2: _Of Nightmares_, but for whatever reason I decided that I hated this and therefore tossed it in favor of the afore mentioned chapter. Looking back over it now, though, I actually think I might like it better (o_O?) so figured I might as well go ahead and share it.

Again, written to fill one of the prompts given me by **BreshitHaya**.

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"_Helios!"_

_His voice, hoarse and rough from the ash and smoke that burned his lungs, echoed in the dusty air. The world around him was still; no wind, no sound, no movement._

_No life._

"_Helios!"_

_He ran through the dust, blinking and coughing as his feet slipped and slid in the blood-red mud. He tripped, fell, rose, and ran on. _

_All around him bodies lay, broken and torn, the source of all the blood, of the stench that permeated everything. Empty faces looked up at him, lifeless eyes following his frantic search. _

Don't look at the faces. Don't look. Don't look.

_But he had to look. Somewhere on this field his son was hidden from him. He had to look, had to be sure that Helios wasn't there, that his son wasn't already gone, left to rot among the scattered dead._

_He choked back sobs and looked down, each familiar visage sending molten shards of agony shooting through his soul. _

_Every face he had ever known looked back up at him. Some were mere acquaintances, people he'd passed on the streets or seen in battles but had never known the names of. But many had names, faces that he had known well, faces that had been dear to him. These were the ones who stuck with him, who sent torment ripping through his soul until he was blinded by tears._

_Spyros... father... _

_Io... wife..._

_Draco... Solon... Ixas... Eusebios... even the Djinn warrior... brothers, friends..._

_Aegnor... cousin, friend..._

_Andromeda... lover..._

_There were hundreds of them, a never ending line of death and loss._

_Zeus, Hades, Poseidon... all the gods were there as well, mingled in with the fallen mortals. All of them stared up, glassy eyes bright with death. _

_Every gaze screamed at him, every face was frozen in fear, pain, blame. Every one silently glared in accusation and pleading. Why didn't you save us, Perseus? Why didn't you stop them, Perseus? Why did you fail us, Perseus? _

I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

"_Helios!"_

_He kept running, kept searching the faces, kept attempting to block out the accusations, the silent pleadings and blame of the dead._

_Perseus..._

"_Helios!"_

_Perseus..._

_Running, searching, choking on ash and dust and death._

"_Helios, answer me! Please!"_

_Lightning flashed before his eyes and fire struck him, leaving him screaming as physical pain spread through every fibre of his being. He felt himself falling, the earth shook beneath him and thunder roared in his ears._

_Then everything was silent and still again._

_The field, the bodies, the ash, the dust, the blood, they were all gone. Pillars and fallen rooftops had taken their place, shattered remains of a temple long abandoned. _

"_Helios!"_

_He could hardly breathe, but he stood and pressed on, swerving between fallen stones and crumbling statues._

"_Father!"_

_Perseus stopped, the anguished scream tearing through him as the lightning had not long before. Before he knew it he was running, staggering and stumbling over obstacles. _

"_Father!"_

"_Helios! I'm coming!"_

_He ran, eyes locked ahead of him. _

_A shadow appeared, indistinct but quickly coming into focus to be revealed as two beings, one young and shaking, the other tall, hard, with a face and eyes as cold as stone._

_Ares._

_Suddenly Perseus knew what was happening. It had played over in his dreams a thousand times before. Ares didn't want Helios. The god of war only wanted revenge on his demigod half-brother, he had no need to harm his human nephew. Still he had to be certain, had to know for sure._

"_Please don't hurt him."_

_How many times had he made that plea? Once in reality, a thousand times in dreams, and now here again, in this hell that he now found himself trapped in._

_Ares smiled wickedly and his eyes glimmered with malice and loathing. "'Please don't hurt him'," he mocked, scorn dripping from every word. "Can such pleadings really come from the mighty Perseus? Is this the creature my father so favored? You, the savior of gods and mankind alike? Bah!" he spat. "You are nothing."_

_This wasn't right. The dreams had never played out like this. Reality had never played out like this. Ares was supposed to sneer, to laugh, and then he was supposed to inform Perseus that he had no intention of hurting the boy._

"_Favorite son, favorite hero, and in the end, a failure. Look at them, Perseus. Who did you really save? Who is left to sing your praises now?"_

_Suddenly the bodies were back, their lifeless eyes screaming accusations at him, pleading with him, hating him. _

_Perseus!_

_Perseus...!_

"_Father!" _

_He tore his sight from the gazes of the dead to lock eyes with his son. Helios looked at him, brave but frightened, pleading but trusting, young but old. _Help me, father! Save me!

"_Ares, please. Please let him go."_

_Ares only sneered. "Save him, brother. Save you son."_

_Perseus ran, but he knew he wouldn't make it. Ares' mace burned to life in the god's hand and the final blow was struck before the demigod even had time to breathe._

_Helios fell with eyes glazed and lifeless, full of bitter accusation and disappointment as they stared at the man who had failed to save his life. _

_Perseus screamed and fell to his knees, sobs catching in his throat. He shouted his son's name, pleading, begging for forgiveness, but the words were drowned out by the deafening echoes of Ares laughter, and by the sudden wailing cries of the dead._

_Perseus! Father! Perseus! Perseus! _Perseus!

o0oOo0o

"Perseus!"

With a ragged cry Perseus jerked, ripping away from the voice and the hand that rested tightly on his shoulder. "No! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry."

"Perseus. Son!"

Trembling and sweating and still half trapped in the dream Perseus didn't hear the concern in the voice that spoke so near to him. All he could hear were the hate-filled accusations of the dead as they echoed in his mind and soul. "No. No!"

Blindly and full of fear he shoved the hand away and scrambled to his feet, tripping as his legs tangled in the rough blanket. He freed himself and ran, stumbling, scrabbling, running, desperate to get away.

It wasn't until he was well away from the little cliff-side house, where the cold night air washed over him and snapped him awake that he realized where he was and what had happened. The trembling in his body increased and his knees buckled beneath him as his stomach rebelled and he sagged to the ground, dry-heaving and choking on his own tears as the voices and lifeless eyes continued to float through his mind.

A hand rested on his shoulder while another went to his elbow, supporting him and keeping him upright as he continued to gasp and sob.

"I'm so sorry." He couldn't help but say it again. It hadn't all been just a dream. Many of those faces really did belong to the dead, and the ones that did had all died on his account, because of his weakness or failure. His adopted father, mother, sister. Io. Draco and the others. They had all died because he hadn't been strong enough, fast enough, capable enough to keep them all safe.

"Perseus, no."

The voice startled him and he jerked again, but the hands on his shoulder and arm kept him steady. Slowly one moved up to cup the back of his neck and to - somewhat awkwardly, Perseus noted, as if the owner of the hand were uncertain when it came to such actions - run a thumb soothingly along his jaw below his ear.

"Perseus, look at me," the voice commanded gently. The demigod hesitated but soon obeyed, looking up to lock gazes with that of the last person he had ever really expected to see. His father.

Zeus held the gaze with solemn steadiness, offering support as Perseus slowly attempted to even out his breathing. "None of their deaths were ever your fault."

Perseus didn't know whether to laugh in disbelief and derision or to sob again. He settled for a mixture of both.

"They were. They were my fault. I couldn't get them out of the ship. I didn't kill Medusa fast enough. I didn't - I didn't pray when Io was dying because we were too stubborn. You could have healed her but we didn't- we wouldn't. It's all my fault."

"No," Zeus insisted. "No, Perseus." Taking his hand from his son's arm he cupped his cheek instead, forcing Perseus to keep their gazes locked. "You cannot save everyone. You cannot defy Fate. And what's more, you cannot take the blame for what is so far beyond anything you can control. Their deaths were not your fault. And none of them blame you for it."

"But they do."

"They don't. It was a dream, Perseus. Nothing more than your own unnecessary guilt haunting you. Search your heart, my son. You know that what I'm saying is true."

Perseus closed his eyes and turned his head away. The tremors and heart-pounding fear had subsided, leaving him with nothing more than an empty ache in his chest and a creeping exhaustion in his limbs. Deep inside he knew that what his father said was right. He had always known it, but along with the truth had come the linger doubt, the constant fear that he had been to blame in bringing death to those he had loved in the past... and that he would always be too late or unable to save the few people that he had left.

"I'm sorry," he said eventually, glancing up at his father with a hint of shame. Suddenly he wished the god would leave him be. He wanted no one to see him like this. "I didn't mean to trouble you with my guilts. Or to wake you."

"You didn't wake me," Zeus answered dismissively. "And you haven't troubled me."

Silence stretched between them, awkward and heavy as neither man knew what else to say. Eventually Zeus went on, his tone low and quiet, and as near to apologetic as Perseus had ever heard. "I know I haven't been the best of fathers to you, Perseus, but this is what parents are for. You are man but you are also my son. You don't have to be ashamed to show fear or pain in front of me."

Perseus remained silent for a long while, focusing on his hands and clenching his jaw as he searched for control. Eventually he nodded and pushed himself up slowly, rising from his knees and standing straight. He glanced sideways, avoiding Zeus's direct gaze as he said, with a partially forced tone of teasing, "If it's any consolation, as far as being a father goes you're not _all_ that bad."

Zeus chuckled and Perseus grinned for a brief moment before looking away. Along the horizon the sun was just beginning to rise, showering the surrounding lands with the first glimmers of dawn and banishing the last shadows of night.

Some time passed before eventually something behind them stirred and a voice spoke up from the doorway of the small hut. "Father?"

Perseus looked back, his mouth turning upwards in a one-sided smile even as pain and memories flashed through his eyes. Helios blinked owlishly in the new light and looked at his father questioningly. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, son," the fisherman answered. "I'll be in in a minute."

Helius nodded slowly, bowing his head to his grandfather in greeting before he ducked back inside the door and vanished.

Perseus took a deep breath and looked out to the horizon again. He still felt the guilt, and the memories of his nightmare continued to float in and out of his mind's eye; yet at the same time the burden had somehow been lessened. He knew it had something to do with the man who currently stood not far behind him. The father he had once hated but had somehow come to understand.

"Thank you." The words were quiet but sincere, and Perseus didn't look up as he said them.

"Don't mention it," the older man answered quietly. Then with a smile he turned away and headed for the house. His tone was light and teasing as he glanced back. "That's what fathers are for, after all. Even the terrible ones."

As he followed the older man into the house, and in spite of the still clinging shadows, Perseus couldn't help but smile.

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_As always, reviews are love! :D_


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